21:04
Unknown
Islamabad
Pakistan Academy of Sciences Chairman and founder chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Professor Dr. Atta ur Rehman on Sunday said that the appointment of executive director HEC by the Establishment Division has destroyed the autonomy of the commission.
Responding to the press statements issued recently by the new administration at HEC that the autonomy of commission is still intact; he said that these are just statements and interference by Establishment Division was completely illegal. “The appointment by Establishment Division is illegal and the new Executive Director will have to go,” he said. Dr. Atta ur Rehman has also challenged the decision in Supreme Court. “The hearing of the petition will start from today and Supreme Court decision will be final in this regard,” he said while talking to ‘The News’.
He said that the implementation of Establishment Division’s decision has not only put HEC’s autonomy under threat, but has altogether destroyed it. HEC founder chairman said the present law that governs the operation of HEC gives powers to appoint all officers, servants and advisors to the 18-member commission. “It is clear that the commission has final jurisdiction on the matter of appointment of officers of the HEC on MP Scales. The Secretariat of the Commission is bound to implement this decision of the Commission.”
He said that the issue is not of an individual, but is of an institution and a system developed and nurtured in past decade. “The issue is that the government wants to take over HEC slowly and turn it into another government department. There is no doubt that whatever happened in HEC in last few days was illegal and is in violation of the legal process.”
In his recent press conference after the appointment of Qamar Zaman Chaudhry as HEC Executive Director by Establishment Division, Rehman termed the government’s move a plot against the autonomy of the commission. “A series of sinister events have unfolded in the last few years that appear to be linked to an overall systematic strategy to destroy these vital sectors so that we will always be at the mercy of foreign masters for all our technological needs,” he pointed out while addressing media persons. He said that the level of autonomy was deliberately incorporated in the law at the time HEC was being set up in 2002 as it was visualised that nepotism, cronyism and corruption would creep into this organisation if the government was allowed to meddle in its functioning, as has happened in so many other organisations in Pakistan.
He also termed the government’s decision a direct affront and open contempt to the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued on April 12 , 2011 in which the court quashed a government attempt to shred HEC into pieces as a part of the devolution process. “In a government where wheeling and dealing is the norm, an organization that takes decisions solely on merit sticks out like a sore thumb.
The transformation of HEC into a ‘normal’ government department that “obediently follows the commands of those in power” suits many interests,” was another statement issued by the founder chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC) at the press conference.
On the other hand, the new Executive Director Qamar Zaman Chaudhry has taken over the charge of the Commission and presided over the meeting of HEC’s senior management on Friday. In the meeting, he denied the impression that HEC’s autonomy is under threat. “Let me assure you that HEC will continue to work as an independent entity, the current set-up is transitional,” said Qamar Zaman in the meeting.
The new Executive Director said that HEC is only linked to the ministry for parliamentary business and governmental interaction, and the latter has nothing to do with the administrative affairs of HEC.
Whereas, on the other, the sources told ‘The News’ that the new ED has made two new appointments at important posts in HEC and has also transferred Director Human Resource Management (HRM) Ejaz Hussain to Planning and Development Department. Another valid question raised by sources was that after any change related to the position of HEC executive director, the second to ED that is Member Operational Planning should take over administrative affairs of the commission not a secretary from Establishment Division.
Pakistan Academy of Sciences Chairman and founder chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Professor Dr. Atta ur Rehman on Sunday said that the appointment of executive director HEC by the Establishment Division has destroyed the autonomy of the commission.
Responding to the press statements issued recently by the new administration at HEC that the autonomy of commission is still intact; he said that these are just statements and interference by Establishment Division was completely illegal. “The appointment by Establishment Division is illegal and the new Executive Director will have to go,” he said. Dr. Atta ur Rehman has also challenged the decision in Supreme Court. “The hearing of the petition will start from today and Supreme Court decision will be final in this regard,” he said while talking to ‘The News’.
He said that the implementation of Establishment Division’s decision has not only put HEC’s autonomy under threat, but has altogether destroyed it. HEC founder chairman said the present law that governs the operation of HEC gives powers to appoint all officers, servants and advisors to the 18-member commission. “It is clear that the commission has final jurisdiction on the matter of appointment of officers of the HEC on MP Scales. The Secretariat of the Commission is bound to implement this decision of the Commission.”
He said that the issue is not of an individual, but is of an institution and a system developed and nurtured in past decade. “The issue is that the government wants to take over HEC slowly and turn it into another government department. There is no doubt that whatever happened in HEC in last few days was illegal and is in violation of the legal process.”
In his recent press conference after the appointment of Qamar Zaman Chaudhry as HEC Executive Director by Establishment Division, Rehman termed the government’s move a plot against the autonomy of the commission. “A series of sinister events have unfolded in the last few years that appear to be linked to an overall systematic strategy to destroy these vital sectors so that we will always be at the mercy of foreign masters for all our technological needs,” he pointed out while addressing media persons. He said that the level of autonomy was deliberately incorporated in the law at the time HEC was being set up in 2002 as it was visualised that nepotism, cronyism and corruption would creep into this organisation if the government was allowed to meddle in its functioning, as has happened in so many other organisations in Pakistan.
He also termed the government’s decision a direct affront and open contempt to the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued on April 12 , 2011 in which the court quashed a government attempt to shred HEC into pieces as a part of the devolution process. “In a government where wheeling and dealing is the norm, an organization that takes decisions solely on merit sticks out like a sore thumb.
The transformation of HEC into a ‘normal’ government department that “obediently follows the commands of those in power” suits many interests,” was another statement issued by the founder chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC) at the press conference.
On the other hand, the new Executive Director Qamar Zaman Chaudhry has taken over the charge of the Commission and presided over the meeting of HEC’s senior management on Friday. In the meeting, he denied the impression that HEC’s autonomy is under threat. “Let me assure you that HEC will continue to work as an independent entity, the current set-up is transitional,” said Qamar Zaman in the meeting.
The new Executive Director said that HEC is only linked to the ministry for parliamentary business and governmental interaction, and the latter has nothing to do with the administrative affairs of HEC.
Whereas, on the other, the sources told ‘The News’ that the new ED has made two new appointments at important posts in HEC and has also transferred Director Human Resource Management (HRM) Ejaz Hussain to Planning and Development Department. Another valid question raised by sources was that after any change related to the position of HEC executive director, the second to ED that is Member Operational Planning should take over administrative affairs of the commission not a secretary from Establishment Division.
Posted in: Islamabad
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